A marketing trend that’s seen a dramatic rise in popularity over recent years is influencer marketing. Although it depends on your product’s industry, influencers can have a significant impact on your brand. Engaging in positive relationships with powerful influencers within your industry can help boost your store’s success. Here are some of the benefits influencers can bring to your business, in perhaps some ways you’ve never expected:

1. Creation

When it comes to influencers, one of the most valuable things they bring to the table is content. When they create any video or image with your brand, you can usually reuse it for your own marketing purposes. Some Amazon sellers even post their influencer’s videos to their product listings. For sellers looking at influencers for new content, there are many sites that can help connect you, such as gen.video and ifluenz.

There are other ways influencers contribute to the creative process. They can suggest ways you can improve your marketing campaigns. Influencers can even help you with the product development process itself- suggesting new ideas or even working with you personally to develop new products together. Collaborating with leading figures in your industry is a great way to enhance your creative process.

2. Publicity

The most obvious opportunity that an influencer provides is good publicity. They create brand awareness for their audience, exposing them to your products. They also can lead their audience to your social media accounts, which can boost your engagement rates and audience base. But besides providing publicity opportunities, influencers can have a more profound impact on your brand’s image.

If you’ve chosen the right influencer for your marketing, they’ll be considered an expert in your industry. The right influencer will boost your own brand’s credibility since they’re a trusted authority who’s recommending your product. One study found that 49% of people rely on influencer recommendations when making purchases. Not only that, but another study found that 60% of people consult blogs, vlogs, or social media before making a purchase. With a good influencer, you have a chance to receive a huge boost in credibility.

3. Improve Sales

Although good publicity often boosts sales, you can’t just depend on your influencer’s audience to wander over to your site. You need to give audiences an incentive. Provide the influencer with an exclusive promo code for Amazon, that their followers can use when purchasing from your company. Our Funnel Manager can help you track how often that Amazon promo code is used. Another idea is to give away a free product to one of your influencer’s followers for a contest. Be creative- just make sure that the influencer creates excitement around purchasing from your brand.

Besides creating excitement to induce sales, influencers can boost sales in some of the weaker aspects of your business. For product launches, having an influencer hype your new product right before its launch can increase the momentum behind the new product. For new marketplaces that you’re trying to enter, finding a powerful influencer to promote your brand within that marketplace is a valuable way to smooth the transition. Influencers can help you overcome the large obstacles that occur when you’re breaking into new territory.

Conclusion

If you haven’t delved into the realm of influencer marketing, now’s the time to jump in. The right influencer can be a great boon to your company. In fact, businesses in 2015 reported making $6.50 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing. Get a return on your investment and find some influencers.